Vocal Techniques Radio Broadcast — Voice Unit
By: Kirsten King
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of vocal techniques by preparing, recording, and sharing a radio broadcast script.
Subject: Voice
Level: Beginner - Intermediate
Main Concepts: Vocal Techniques, Script Writing
National Standards Represented:
TH:Cr2.1.8
b. Share leadership and responsibilities to develop collaborative goals when preparing
or devising drama/theatre work.
TH:Cr3.1.8
a. Use repetition and analysis in order to revise devised or scripted drama/theatre work.
b. Refine effective physical, vocal, and physiological traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/ theatre work.
c. Implement and refine a planned technical design using simple technology during the
rehearsal process for devised or scripted drama/ theatre work.
TH:Pr5.1.8
b. Use a variety of technical elements to create a design for a rehearsal or drama/theatre production.
Lesson Plan: Day 1
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will become aware of different vocal principles by analyzing
film clips, and understand the vocal principles that they use in their daily lives by discussing the different ways these principles can alter or enhance the meaning of their
words.
Materials Needed: Audio clips from The Dark Knight Rises, Lord of the Rings, Will and
Grace, Winnie the Pooh, and Spongebob.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
The journal question is written on the board as students walk in. Give students about
five minutes to write about the question as their journal entry. Allow students to ask
questions for any clarification.
Journal Entry:
Write about a time when you heard someone talking, but you weren’t able to see them.
How did you know how they were feeling/what they were doing?
After students have been given enough time to answer, discuss what they wrote as a
class. As students give their answers, write down on the board the different vocal techniques that come up. If students don’t mention one, write it on the board and ask students what it means and for examples. Make sure that all eight of these are mentioned.
Talk about different things that each one could indicate (ex: what are some different
things that Silence might mean? (maybe that they are mad, or that they are scared,
maybe they are creating suspense before they say something important, etc.)).
Vocal Techniques:
Pitch - where the voice lies within the possible range. (high or low)
Tone - the manner of speech or delivery (conversational, nervous, sarcastic, etc.)
Quality/Timbre - the particular type of sound your voice makes (nasal, deep-throated,
raspy, etc.)
Volume/Dynamic - Loudness of a given sound. (loud or soft)
Tempo - The speed with which words or sounds are expressed. (fast or slow)
Breath - What does their breath say about what they are doing or how they feel?
Silence - “A sound is only as loud as the silence on either side of it.”
Gesture - Emotion behind the voice when speaking.
Transition:
Ask the following questions to create a whole class discussion: Does anyone recognize
these words from anywhere else? (May need to prompt them a bit… maybe they only
recognize some of these? Has anyone played an instrument?) Have you ever thought of
your voice as an instrument?
Discussion:
What does it mean if I say that our voices are powerful tools or instruments in conveying
meaning.
• Who here has ever gotten in a fight with someone while texting/emailing, instant messaging, etc?" Why? Why is it so easy to misunderstand someone when you can’t hear
their voice?
• Have you ever said something to someone and regretted how it sounded, or had to
say “That’s not what I meant!” Why? Why does our meaning sometimes get lost in
what we say?
Ask for students to share examples with their neighbors and then, if they would like to,
with the class.
Activity:
“What power do our voices have?” Ask them to think of only ever being able to speak in
a monotone voice at all times. Have them get with a partner. Tell them to have a completely monotone conversation. They can talk about whatever they want, but they have
to talk essentially like a robot. (give them ideas, like what they did the past weekend,
what their plans are for christmas, what they ate for breakfast that morning, etc.)
They’re not allowed to use any inflection in their voices whatsoever- it must always stay
the same tone. As they are talking to their partners, ask them to try and show an emotion (how did you feel about what you did this weekend?). They can’t change their voice
at all, they can only use their faces, dialogue, or gestures. Then ask them to try to show
a different emotion as they continue to talk to their same partner.
After students have been given a moment to talk to one another, ask them the following
questions.
What did you notice about that? Was it difficult to talk that way? Was it difficult to try and
show emotion when you can’t use your voice?
Transition:
Ask students to get out their journals again, this is part two of the journal entry. Instruct
them to number 1-5, skipping lines. Ask them to spread out around the room where they
are far from their neighbors. Act like it is a very difficult quiz that they are about to take.
Tell them that they aren’t allowed to cheat and that they must keep their eyes on their
own paper.
Activity:
Tell the students that you are going to play an audio clip for them, and they are supposed to write down the name of the person who is speaking.
Pause between each to give students a moment to write it down, but don’t say anything
until after they are all done.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bane from The Dark Knight Rises
Gollum from Lord of the Rings
Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh
Spongebob from Spongebob
A very clean, short clip of Karen from Will and Grace*
After students have had a chance to guess, go back through and ask the following
questions.
- Who is this?
- How do you know?
- What effect is the actor trying to make with this voice?
- Is it working?
Lastly, have students write down (under the name of the person) at least ONE of the
voice choices on the board that they think the actor is using.
* I am fully aware that students will likely not know who this is. I expect them to maybe
think it is a cartoon voice. I will explain that this is a bonus, that I don’t expect them to
know who it is. When I go back through, I will explain that I included this audio clip for a
certain reason. (The filmmakers of Finding Nemo called Megan Mulally and wanted her
to be a voice actor. They were surprised that the voice she did as Karen wasn’t her real
voice and she wasn’t cast when she refused to do it for the movie… her voice was that
convincing in eight years on that show. etc.)
Discussion/Transition:
After this, point out to them that they already are exposed to memorable voices in the
media. They remember distinct voices (for different reasons), and the specific ways
people use their voices to effect some type of meaning.
Activity:
Have students take out their journals a third time. Turn to the pages in their notebooks
where they wrote down this script:
A: Hi
B: Hello
A: Do you know what time it is?
B: No, not exactly.
A: Don’t you have a watch?
B: Not on me.
A: Well…
B: Well, what?
A: What did you do last night?
B: What do you mean?
A: What did you do last night?
B: Nothing.
A: Sorry I asked.
Have students get with a partner. Instruct them to read through this script in different
ways, depending on which vocal technique I call out. They are going to have a few
minutes for each technique, and they are supposed to try as many different ways as
possible to change the meaning by changing their voice (within that technique).
• How many ways can you change your voice in each technique?
• How many different ways can you say the lines to change the meaning of the scene?
Go through each of the techniques, give about 2-3 minutes for each.
Discussion/Wrap-Up:
Reflection. Exit card. Pass out index cards, and have students answer the following.
Of all the times you performed the scene, what worked? What effect did the choices
make on the performance/character? Was meaning changed in the scene based on the
technique you used?
Assessments:
Students will be assessed on their completion of their journal entries, their participation
in class discussions and in partner scenes.
Lesson Plan: Day 2
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the vocal
techniques, what they are and what they can do, by making vocal choices for their
character and annotating their reader’s theatre script.
Materials Needed: Poster Board/Butcher Paper, Markers, Readers Theatre Scripts,
Vocal Technique Cheat Sheet
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/readerstheater/WhereWildThings.html
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/readerstheater/Rumplestiltskin.html
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
Have pieces of poster paper taped around the room with the different vocal techniques
and number them 1-8. Count off students 1-8, and tell them (when you say “Go”) to
move to the poster with their number on it.
Once there, instruct students to do a “brain dump.” They will be given five minutes to
write down everything they know about that vocal technique. Ask them to come up with
words that help define it, how you can use it, what effect it can create and examples
in everyday life/pop culture.
After five minutes, call to the groups and tell them to rotate up one number (eight goes
to one). They have one minute to add to this poster or take away anything they feel
should not be there.
They will continue to rotate until each group has a chance to write on each paper.
Discussion:
Ask students to return to their seats. Pass out the fill-out-able vocal techniques cheat
sheet. Call each (original) group up and have them go over what they wrote down for
that vocal technique. These presentations should only take 1-2 minutes.
Give praise to students for things on the boards that are particularly insightful and appropriate for that viewpoint. Ask students to explain if anything seems unclear.
As the groups present, have the students fill out the cheat sheets, have them write
down what they like or what they think will help them understand each one in the boxes.
These are theirs to keep.
Review Activity:
As a class, practice going through each vocal technique by saying “Once upon a time,
in a land far far away” and making a technique choice. Tell them which technique we
are going to do and then let them decide what they are going to do. (Ex: For the technique pitch, they could say the line high or low or varying between the two)
Transition:
Once we have gone through all of them remove the tone, breath, timbre, quality, and
silence posters.
Explain that in class today we are just going to focus on pitch, dynamic, and tempo.
Ask the class if they have ever heard of reader’s theatre. If they have, ask someone to
explain briefly what it is. If they haven’t, explain to them that it is a script that is written
only to be read out loud, not acted out with movement, props, or staging.
It’s often used in classrooms not as a performance tool, but as a way to make the text
become more engaging.
Discussion question: Knowing that we are working on vocal techniques, why would
readers theatre be something we would want to work on?
Answers should bring the class to the idea that the voice is the only way to convey emotion, character, and action since the readers theatre script is only read.
Instruction:
Mini-lesson on annotation. Write the word on the board, ask students what they
think/know it means. When they begin bringing up English class, annotating to mark
similes or metaphors etc., explain that they need to take the same idea, of making notes
in the text, to the next activity.
On the board, write a line from one of the reader’s theatre scripts.
Max: Be still!
Ask students to come up and show you how they might annotate this line to show that
they want to get louder as they say it? Ask for different examples, but make sure that
they all indicate the same thing. Ask students how they would annotate it to say that
they want to say it in a higher voice? What about if they wanted to say it really slowly?
Give a few students the chance to come up and show different ways that they might annotate that line to show different things.
Explain that you would like them to do something similar for the reader’s theatre scripts,
and annotate each line so that anyone who picks it up would know exactly how to read
that character’s lines.
Activity:
Divide students into groups of either six or eight (one of the scripts has six characters
and one has eight). They can either choose their groups or you can have them already
made. Have them spread out around the room and pass out the reader’s theatre scripts
to each group, preferably with the same number of each (three groups with each script).
Instruct them to each choose a part in their script, making sure everyone has a part and
each are represented. Read through it once, silently, annotating where you might make
some vocal choices focusing only on the techniques we are looking at today.
• “How are you going to distinguish your character, focusing on pitch, dynamic and tempo?”
• “If you’re a narrator in your script, what are you going to do to exhibit your unique
character voice to help distinguish between other narrators.
Remind the students that if they are monotone then they aren’t engaging. Tell them that
“bored” is not a choice that will work with these characters because it will read as lazy.
So I might choose to have a slow tempo but high pitched voice.
After they annotate their own lines, have them pass them pass them back in and hold
them for the students for next time. Tell them that they will continue working on these
next time.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation in filling out the vocal technique brain
dump posters (in groups) and in presenting their poster to the class, on filling out their
“Vocal Techniques Cheat Sheet” (which I will just visually assess as I walk around the
room), on their participation in working in groups on their reader’s theatre scripts.
Name: _______________________________
Vocal Effects Cheat Sheet
Table 1
Pitch
Tone
Volume/Dynamic
Quality/Timbre
Tempo
Gesture
Breath
Silence
Lesson Plan: Day Three
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the different vocal techniques and how different choices provide different meanings by participating in reader’s theatre performances.
Materials Needed: Students’ reader’s theatre scripts.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
The journal question is written on the board as students walk in.
Journal Entry: What are some ways that you change your voice based on the situation
you are in or on what you are saying?
Think of something that you say every day, and write down all of the different ways you
can say it and what those might change it to mean. (ex: I love you)
Transition:
If necessary, talk about the annotations that they turned in last class. Go over some of
the things that students did really well (underlining words they wanted to say louder,
drawing arrows when they wanted to say it with a higher pitch), and some of the things
that aren’t as great (writing “normal” under each line because you want to say something normally, writing “sad” next to a line… explain that you would rather see how they
would make it sad).
Ask students to make sure that these choices are motivated. Ask: what does this mean?
Talk about how there are some choices that work for some lines for certain characters but speaking like yourself or being boring and monotone the ENTIRE time is not a
choice. It is being lazy.
Practice:
Have students get into their groups, hand back their scripts, and allow them to take ten
minutes to finish or fix their annotations. After ten minutes, give them another ten to go
over their scripts with their groups and get it ready to perform. Have students make sure
that their choices make sense with the other characters in their groups and that their
choices tell the story well.
Transition:
Lead the students through a few different vocal warmups. Lion face, mouse face.
Tongue twister: the lawyer’s awful daughter ought to be taught to draw. Talk about using a stage whisper, have them practice.
Performances:
Move to the auditorium for more space. Have each group get with a group that had a
different script from them. Have the different groups spread out around the auditorium
and perform for one another. Have them each perform, and once they are done instruct
the students to sit quietly until everyone is finished. (Because they are all performing the
same two scripts, the timing shouldn’t be too off).
Transition:
Move back to the classroom once everyone has finished.
Reflection:
With the time left, have students pull out their journals again and answer this question:
What are some different choices that you noticed other people make? Did they work?
Did they make you think any differently about your choices?
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation in preparing for reader’s theatre performances, performing their reader’s theatre scripts, turning in their annotated scripts for a
grade, and writing a reflection in their journals.
Lesson Plan: Day 4
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will learn how using different vocal techniques can help build
and enhance unique characters, and how projecting and using good diction will allow for
stronger vocal choices - they will apply this new knowledge by participating in audioonly-fairy-tale performances.
Materials Needed: Character Voices Powerpoint, a list of tongue twisters for reference
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
Write on the board for students to number 1-10 skipping a line between each number.
Tell them, with each photo on the powerpoint, they are to write down what they would
have to do to change their voice to portray that character. Give some examples: lower
their pitch, make their voices more gravelly, short of breath, louder, etc. Encourage
them to try to use the vocabulary we have been using in class so far.
The pictures on the powerpoint are as follows:
1. Old man/Grandpa
2. Young girl/Toddler
3. Angry mom
4. Cheerleader CHEERING
5. Sick older woman
6. Bored teenaged boy
7. Flight attendant
8. Teacher (you can decide the situation)
9. Radio show host
10. YOUR NEIGHBOR!!! (no picture, obviously)
Once we have been through this once, go through it again and ask people what they
wrote down. Ask them for specific things they would need to do to change their voice to
create these different characters. Give an example of how you would like them to
phrase their answers. (IF they are brave they can tell me what they wrote down in a
voice like that character!)
Transition:
Tell students that we are going to switch gears for a minute and come back to character
voices in just a little bit. Have students come get in a circle on the floor.
Instruction:
Ask if anyone knows what projecting means. “What do you have to do with your body
and with your breathing in order to project?”
Practice breathing from the diaphragm.
Relate this kind of breathing to swimming or playing an instrument.
Have students breathe out with an “S” sound - go for as long as you can. These are the
types of breaths we need to be taking when we project.
Have everyone take a deep breath and repeat “How Now Brown Cow” using projection.
* Caution students to breathe with their diaphragms and not their chest or their throat
Tell students to still think about projection, but now they need to focus on their words.
“What am I using when I make sure to hit all of my consonants and enunciate every single word?” (<— Do this with an annoying amount of diction.) The answer you are looking for is diction.
Tell students that people from different places have problems with using diction for certain sounds.
• How do you say mountain?
• Or kitten?
Give students a minute to try these words and think of any other words that they might
have trouble with.
“So we want to make sure we are hitting all of our consonants. We also need to make
the proper vowel sounds so that everyone knows what we are saying.”
Lead students through the following tongue twisters, asking them to focus on their diction and projection:
1. The lawyer’s awful daughter ought to be taught to draw.
2. The brown cow found a round town in the south country.
3. She shuddered and shook at the sight of sheered sheep.
4. Are our oars oak?
5. Around the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
*Allow students a few seconds to go through these as individuals, playing with it, feeling
the consonants and vowels in their mouths before doing it together as a class.
Transition:
For this next activity, you will need to keep in mind everything from the last few classes,
and the couple of things we have talked about today.
Instruction:
Tell students that (when you say go) they are to move into groups of five or six. They
are going to have ten minutes to choose a fairytale that they are going to act out using
ONLY their voices. They will have only two minutes to perform these fairytales, so they
should keep it short and sweet.
Here are the rules:
* Everyone in your group must have at least one speaking part. Some people might
need to portray two - so you will need to make sure that they are unique to the characters.
* You are not allowed to have any sort of narrator - the only thing you can use to tell the
story is your voices.
* You will be hidden and facing away from your audience, so be sure that you project
and use clear diction so that they can understand you.
* You won’t tell anyone which fairytale you have chosen - the class will try to guess after
the performance (so make sure the characters you create with your voices are very
clear).
* I will cut you off if you go over two minutes. Shorter is better guys!
Ask if anyone needs clarification or has any questions.
Practice/Rehearsal:
“Go!” Walk around and make sure that people are on task and that they are doing what
they are supposed to. Make sure they know what they are supposed to do.
Performances:
Create a wall in your classroom. Use whatever you can. Tell students that the groups
will be sitting behind this
Have groups volunteer to go up, but make sure it is clear that everyone will be going.
Time them, and be true to your word. After each one, see if the class knows what fairytale they were performing.
Assessments:
Students will be assessed on completing their journal entry, their participation in class
discussion about character voices, participation in projection and diction activities and in
their audio-only-fairy-tale practice and performances.
These are the photos in the powerpoint.
(Thes
Lesson: Day 5
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the
various vocal techniques we have been learning by listening to and analyzing different
radio broadcast examples and identifying the techniques used by the voice actors in
each.
Materials Needed: Clips from War of the Worlds, The New Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes (Murder by Moonlight), Gunsmoke (The Railroad), clip from “Villain and Able”
from This American Life. Rubric for their final assessment.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
When students walk in, have the window open to outside and music playing ever so
lightly. Have students walk around the classroom for a minute or two in soft focus. Ask
“What did you notice?” Don’t tell them what they’re doing. (Most likely they will notice
visual things.) Next, have them all sit down and close their eyes. Walk around them,
make normal but random noises (cough, drink from a water bottle, etc.). Now ask them
what types of things they notice, or are aware of. (Mostly sound this time) Ask them
what the difference was. “These sounds were going the entire time yet no one (or hardly
anyone) said anything about it at first).” Why was that?
Transition:
Have students move into a seated circle on the floor.
Activity:
Explain to the students that they are going to create a soundscape. Explain that you will
give a location, and as a group, they are going to make sounds like what they might
hear at that location. (Give an example: at the beach, what are some different sounds
you might hear? Have students give examples, like waves, birds, etc.)
Here are the rules:
* I am the conductor, you are the orchestra.
* If I do this (gesture upward or downward), and point to you, you should get louder/softer.
* If I do this (gesture upward or downward with both hands), then everyone should get
louder/softer.
* If I touch the ground, I need everyone to be silent.
* Listen to the location I give you and try to create a picture with the sound.
Locations: beach, park, restaurant, five year old’s birthday party, spooky graveyard
It is likely that they will need to try the first few locations a few different times, this is
okay. Ask them after each what was good and what could be better.
Discussion:
After the entire soundscape, create a discussion with the students by asking:
What did you think of that?
Were we able to create the effect we wanted?
How do sounds help to paint a picture of a story in our heads?
Transition:
Have students move to their seats and get out their journals.
Activity:
Ask students what they know about radio. Do any of them listen to talk radio, or other
radio broadcasts? Do their parents? “There used to be a time when radio was the form
of entertainment, not television.”
Ask them to listen to the different audio clips. They are just to listen and notice and enjoy, ask them not to write anything down. After each of the clips, ask the following questions and foster a discussion.
War of the Worlds clip:
• What did you think? What were your reactions?
• What did you like or dislike?
• Did it seem real?*
* Explain this interesting fact: during its broadcast in 1938 when radio entertainment
was relatively new, even though it says at the beginning of the program what it is,
people were panicking because they thought what they were hearing was real. They
thought aliens were attacking the planet.
Have them answer the following in their journals:
• What power do our voices have?
Sherlock Holmes clip: (3 mins)
• What did you notice about this clip?
• How did they utilize their voices?
• Could you visualize the characters?
• What did you “see” happening?
Have them answer the following in their journals:
• What sound effects did you notice? What did it add?
Gunsmoke clip: (3 mins)
• What can you tell about the two characters in this clip?
• What can you tell about their relationship?
• What could you visualize as you listened?
• How?
Have them answer the following in their journals:
• How were they able to create such clear characters with just their voices?
Villain and Able: (short segment from the middle)
• Were you engaged throughout?
• What about his voice made him interesting to listen to?
• What were some of the vocal techniques you heard him use?
• Did you find this clip a little more relatable?
Have them answer the following in their journals:
• What can you take away from this last radio clip?
Wrap-up/Instruction:
Herd students into a circle to have their full attention. Describe the final assessment the recorded radio broadcasts. Pass out the rubric. Go through this rubric together, focusing on each point.
This project will be done in groups of 3-5, meaning each person will likely be more than
one character, and/or have to implement more than one technique. Everyone must have
a speaking role, and must demonstrate at least one vocal technique in the broadcast.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation today. Participation in the classroom
walkabout, in the soundscape game, in class discussion following each radio clip, and in
their journal entries answering a certain question after each radio clip.
Name: __________________________________________________________________
RADIO BROADCAST
RUBRIC AND ASSIGNMENT SHEET
In groups, you will create a radio broadcast that will demonstrate your understanding of the vocal
qualities that we have been experimenting with over the last few weeks. Your broadcast must
meet the following requirements:
DURATION
CONTENT
VOCAL QUALITIES
PARTICIPATION
Broadcast clearly demonstrates an understanding of
all of the vocal qualities:
Pitch, Tone, Dynamic,
Quality, Tempo, Breath,
Silence, Gesture.
You participated during
each part of the assignment.You had a featured
“speaking role” in the final
product using at least one of
the vocal qualities.
EXCELLENT
(25-30 pts)
The broadcast is
at least three
minutes in length,
but not exceeding
3 and a half.
GOOD
The broadcast is
The script is mostly
at least 2.5
coherent and coheminutes in length. sive with clear characters and plot.
At least six of the vocal
You were mostly on task,
qualities are clearly demon- participating most of the
strated in your broadcast.
time during each part of the
assignment. You had a featured “speaking role” in the
final product using at least
one of the vocal qualities.
The broadcast is
The script is somebetween 2 and 2.5 what coherent and
minutes in length. cohesive; the characters and the plot are
sort of clear.
Three of the vocal qualities
are clearly represented in
your broadcast.
You contributed some during each part of the assignment. You had to be reminded to get back on task.
You had a featured “speaking role” in the final product
using at least one of the vocal qualities.
The broadcast is
None of the vocal qualities
are discernible in your
broadcast, no understanding
is demonstrated.
You contributed and collaborated very little in this assignment. You were never
on task. You did not use one
of the vocal qualities in the
script.
(20-25 pts)
FAIR
(15-20 pts)
OOPS
(14 pts or below) under 2 minutes.
The broadcast contains a coherent and
cohesive script with
clear characters and
plot.
The broadcast does
not contain a coherent or cohesive
script. The characters
and plot are not clear.
Lesson Plan: Day 6
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will demonstrate the importance of the various vocal techniques by working in groups to brainstorm and draft their radio broadcast scripts, working to incorporate each of the vocal techniques.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
Have the journal prompt written on the board when students arrive.
Journal Entry: What do you remember about the radio broadcast examples from last
time that you can incorporate into your own broadcasts? What are some ideas you
have?
Brainstorming:
Explain that students will now take 5 minutes to silently, on their own, brainstorm on a
sheet a paper ideas that they could use in their radio broadcast. They could brainstorm
character ideas, story ideas, voices, or anything else they could use in their broadcasts.They don’t have to be fully thought out and developed ideas, just different things
to bring to the table that they can discuss and possibly play with in their groups.
After 5 minutes of individual brainstorming have the students get back into their groups,
and share their ideas with one another. They can have about 10 minutes to share ideas
and discuss them in greater detail.
Instruction:
Explain that they will have time to work today on their scripts. Be sure to explain that
they only have today, and next class period to finish their scripts. By the end of the class
period, they will need to turn in an outline for their script.
Once they have finished and turned in the outline, have them work together to create
and write the script. Explain that it doesn’t need to be anything fancy or formal, just
make it clear who is saying what.
Explain that students need to record the broadcasts on their phones, either on the free
iPhone app (that comes with the phone) or the free Hi-Q Mp3 Rec app for Android.
They will need to email their recordings to me to receive a grade.
If students don’t have someone with a smart phone in their group, they may borrow
mine.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their completion of the broadcast brainstorm, completing a
radio broadcast outline, and on working as a group to create the script for their recording.
Lesson Plan: Day 7
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the vocal techniques
by continuing to work in groups on their broadcast scripts.
Teaching Presentation:
Instruction:
Explain that students should get into their groups and continue their work on their
scripts. Explain that next class period they will be recording their podcasts. This means
that they will only today to finish writing and start rehearsing their radio broadcasts. In
order for everyone to record next class, because we only have one “recording booth,”
they need to make sure that they are ready enough because they can only have five
minutes to record.
Float around the room and have an informal conversation with each group, helping
them revise their scripts to better achieve the assignment. Make sure that they are
aware of the time limit, and that everyone needs to be included equally.
Activity:
To reward them for working so hard the entire class (if they deserve it) allow students to
play an improv game of their choice for the last ten minutes of the period.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation in writing and rehearsing their scripts.
Lesson: Day 8
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will incorporate their vocal technique knowledge as they finish their scripts and record their radio broadcasts.
Materials Needed: Reflection assignment sheets
“Materials” Needed: a recording booth, situated on the stage, with the grand and the
travelers drawn, and the legs flown in, to create a mostly soundproof area.
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
Move to the auditorium, where the recording booth is set up.
Instruction:
Explain that they need to be almost silent as they wait to record their broadcasts and
after they’ve finished recording. Before they record, they may whisper with their groups
to practice. After they record they can begin working on their reflection papers that are
due next class.
Assign an order for recording to make it run more smoothly.
Groups have only five minutes in the recording booth. If they run out of time and don’t
have a recording, allow them to go into the hallway for another five minutes. The sound
quality may not be as good but at least they will have something to turn in and they
won’t hold any of the other groups up.
Monitor each group as they work on recording their radio broadcast. Ensure students
are on task. Make sure everyone is quiet and respectful of the group that is recording.
Remind students that these need to be emailed to you at least by next class, but the
night before next class if they want them to be played during class next time.
Assignment:
Reflection due next class.
Assessments:
Students will be assessed on their participation in recording their radio broadcasts.
Lesson Plan: Day 9
Unit: Vocal Techniques
Daily Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the different vocal
techniques by analyzing their fellow classmates’ broadcasts and identifying their use of
different techniques.
Materials Needed: Pre-listened to radio broadcasts from students (make sure they are
appropriate to share)
Teaching Presentation:
Hook:
Have students grab their journals as they walk in and allow them to sit wherever they
want to listen to the broadcast recordings.
Instruction:
After they have listened to the different radio broadcasts, have students write in their
journals two different things they thought the group did well, and one thing they could
have done a little better. Explain that students should be talking about the things they
did with voice, not just that “it was funny” or “the story was good.”
After they have had a few minutes to write this down, ask for some of the good things
they wrote down. Allow each broadcast to have about 2-3 minutes of discussion.
Discussion:
After you have played all of the radio broadcasts, conduct a whole class discussion by
asking the following questions.
Was there something everyone generally did well? What was a general class weakness? What could be improved upon? What have you learned throughout the unit?
What power do our voices have?
Activity:
With the short amount of time left, as a reward for hard work, play an improv game with
the students. Be transparent and let them know that this is because you are proud of
their hard work and the product they achieved.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their participation in the discussion following each radio
broadcast recording and on writing notes about each. Their broadcasts will be assessed
according to the rubric, as will their reflections that are due this day.